In a first-of-its kind for pediatric medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Philips Healthcare have teamed to create a hybrid operating room to increase patient safety, decrease anesthesia time, and improve patient flow.
Previously pediatric patients may have had to made several stops while under anesthesia, including interventional radiology and surgery. All the procedures, including ultrasound, CT guidance and floroscopy (live x-ray) will now take place in one place reducing the risk of complications, and saving time and money.
A giant imaging machine is at the centerpiece of the hybrid operating room where surgeons and interventional radiologists will work together.
"This is the future and I would say here at Cincinnati Children's, the team is quite far ahead of where other people are. It's not normal for these specialists to work together this intimately," according to Philips Senior Vice President of Image Guided Therapy Ronald Tabaksblat.
Philips has been working with Children's for fifteen years. "Technology that we develop here with Cincinnati Children's ends up all over the world." A great example of that is when physicists from Philips and Children's worked to decrease x-ray dosage when looking at blood vessels by 96 percent.
Children's Dr. John Racadio, is the Director of Interventional Radiology Translational Research and Simulation Lab, and worked on that project to reduce radiation.
The lab tests technology that could end up in the hybrid operating room pending FDA approval
In the lab, Racadio is testing augmented reality where 3D imaging will be superimposed on the patient, providing doctors a view of the inside and outside of the patient during surgery. The FDA is expected to approve this technology later this year.
Racadio says virtual reality may be further down the road. "So imagine looking at the patient through some glasses. Not only do you see the patient on the outside but actually you are able to bring in the MRI, or a CAT scan of that patient and virtually see it through the patient during surgery."
After FDA approval, the techniques tested in the lab will be used in the new hybrid operating room.
